The Diamondbacks didn’t play Thursday, but the standings still moved against them.
San Diego’s 9-2 win over Colorado pushed the Padres’ lead in the race for the final National League playoff spot to four games with nine games left in the regular season. That also trimmed the Padres’ “magic number” to six, which means any combination of Padres wins and Diamondbacks losses that adds up to six would lock up a postseason berth for San Diego.
Arizona now heads into its final three-game home series of the regular season with the clock ticking. The Diamondbacks will host the 88-64 New York Yankees at Chase Field, and the weekend will include a 25-year celebration of Arizona’s World Series win over those same Yankees.
The off-field news around Chase Field hasn’t exactly helped the mood, either. Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall addressed roof leaks at the stadium, saying the roof has leaked before and that he first saw the problem during a monsoon about 20 years ago. The leak is only the latest issue tied to the ballpark, which has also dealt with unresolved HVAC problems, a roof motor that reportedly has not functioned properly for years, and piping issues on the upper level.
Around the league, the Mets had a frightening moment when Jared Young had to be carted off after a collision with Nolan McLean during the top of the sixth inning against the Phillies at Citi Field. Mets manager Andy Green said Young “avoided the scariest outcomes” after the play at first base, which came on a weak grounder off Justin Crawford’s bat and turned ugly when miscommunication led to McLean’s knee appearing to strike Young’s head.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers kept rolling. Los Angeles clinched its fifth straight National League West title and 13th in the last 14 years with an 8-2 win over the Reds.
Manager Dave Roberts called it “a big deal” and added, “I think that a lot of people think that it’s just a rite of passage, [but] it’s not easy. So it’s something that we’re all really proud of, but really understand that’s not the end goal.”
On the injury front, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Shohei Ohtani is progressing well. When asked whether Ohtani could return in time for the playoffs, Friedman said, “I expect him back in the regular season,” noting, “He’s doing well,” and “He’s progressing well.”
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Playoff Reality Is Getting Harder To Ignore
Eduardo Rodriguez ran into immediate trouble against the Yankees, and the Diamondbacks never really found their footing in a 9-2 loss that left the club staring at a tougher postseason path. Rodriguez was tagged for five runs in the first inning, and in a notable twist, Zac Gallen came out of the bullpen for the first time as Arizona tried to piece together the game from there.
The bigger issue is the math that keeps tightening around the seasons final stretch. Arizona now sits five games behind the Padres for the last National League wild-card spot with eight games left, a gap that leaves little room for error even if the clubhouse still believes there is a way back into the race. Torey Lovullo said he remains optimistic, but the standings are starting to make the reality harder to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]
D-Backs Tribute Put One Current Young Arm Right In The Moment
A weekend tribute to Arizonas 2001 World Series champions gave the Diamondbacks a rare chance to blend past and present in front of a crowd that still remembers the franchises defining October. During the series against the Yankees, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the co-MVPs of that championship run, were introduced and even recreated the trophy lift in the same spot where it happened more than two decades ago.
For the current clubhouse, the moment was more than ceremonial. Young reliever Justin Martinez was among the players who spent time around the former champions, and he made it clear how much it meant to be in that setting, especially with a chance to hear from and learn alongside players whose names are woven into team history. For a roster trying to build its own identity, those kinds of weekends can leave a mark well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Suddenly Have A September Problem They Can't Ignore
September has a way of exposing everything, and the Diamondbacks got a reminder of that against the Yankees. Eduardo Rodriguez never found a foothold in the first inning, and Arizona spent the rest of the afternoon trying to dig out of an early hole created by a sluggish start on the mound. Even with Corbin Carroll providing a bright spot at the plate with two home runs, the game quickly became more about damage control than a late push.
Zac Gallens unusual relief appearance added another layer to the day, a sign of how much the pitching staff was being stretched in a game Arizona never really steadied. Rodriguez was charged with seven earned runs over 5.1 innings, and the Yankees early lead left little margin for recovery. For a club trying to keep its footing in September, the bigger concern is less about one loss than the pattern it hints at if the rotation and bullpen keep getting asked to absorb this kind of pressure. [Read more 🡒]